A Mother’s love
7th October 2003 Anagha gazed at her husband’s photo on the wall. It had been ten months since she lost him to cancer. “Yogesh, I...2 min
7th October 2003 Anagha gazed at her husband’s photo on the wall. It had been ten months since she lost him to cancer. “Yogesh, I...2 min
“But Suzie, I am doing all this for us after all”, whispered Samrat, timidly. “Oh, please! Speak only for yourself. I don’t need all that...2 min
Asha? Remember me? Anuradha Dixit.” Asha turned around in her seat, smiling warmly, “Of course I remember you! Divekar Uncle’s daughter. Dixit, after wedding, is...2 min
The dining room was a mess; the shreds of broken glasses were scattered all over the floor. It seemed as if some Tsunami had just...2 min
“Rohini, tell me what to do”, said Rahul, his voice cracking with emotion. Rohini could see that Rahul’s eyes were brimming over. The incident had...2 min
She was vehemently trying to connect with her family but the line went dead. In utter disgust, she left the receiver dangling from the table....1 min
“700 rupees”, counted the 12 year old as he delighted at his accomplishment for that day. Aadhi checked the coins and notes for one last...1 min
“Mr. God, do we really need Ms. Death down there? I mean, look at man…. such a beautiful creation of yours…near perfect I would say…...1 min
Death is not merely the end of life. It is also the beginning of misery of the loved ones, of the family that is left...1 min
“Oh death!! You win, I lose. I bow to you.” My grieving heart couldn’t accept the unbearable news. I was introspecting over the inexorable reality...1 min
The river flowed on, beyond a curtain of mist, its coquettish laughter ringing out in the morning air. Today, its laughter seemed to hold the...1 min
Anna was lying still on the table. The candle was flickering due to the light air coming from the verandah. The room was still filled...1 min
Sharmaji entered the club in the evening and silently sat in a chair; his chin cupped, head hanging down. The retired officers present there playing...1 min
The stink of death was unmistakable. It surrounded him, crawling through his nostrils to block his windpipe. As he got closer, it was only years...1 min
Seven thirty on the evening of 16th May 2014, my phone rang. It was Shikha, my little cousin sister. “My queen, at your service…..” In...1 min
After several doorbell rings and battering, the doorknob was snapped by hammer and opened; the neighbours had also gathered. The moment the door opened, she...1 min
Amma lay there on the floor, a darkened pool of blood seeping out from below her head. I bit on my hand to suppress a...1 min
After hours of rigourous search, the search-party was able to recover “the body” when the yet relentless waters receded. The guilt writ on the survivor’s...2 min
When he entered the house it was almost midnight. He knew Nina hated when he rang the doorbell at late hours but then he always...1 min
It was a Sunday afternoon and she was returning to her home after 21 days. It was the longest she was away from her family....1 min
Mathew was trying very hard to breathe. The pulse was dropping down exponentially. The doctor started giving him CPR and the nurses around started making...1 min
The bodies lay embalmed in the electronic casket. A fresh dead body, soaked in a pool of blood arrived. The flesh, dangling from the face...1 min
The residents of Devi apartment woke up to the news of their security guard Ram Bahadur’s demise at the hospital. The Secretary of the complex...1 min
I tell you, it was all in self defence. To protect myself and my family, I had to wield the weapon and the inevitable happened....1 min
There was an eerie calm in the house. Michael lay , splayed spread- eagled on the kitchen floor. He was breathing laboriously , his life’s...1 min
The two bodies were lying on the bed with their limbs at awkward angles. Their throats had been cut with something razor-sharp. The esophagus and...1 min
After ten days of his struggle to stay ‘alive’, Bhisma Pitamaha gave up his fight, sealed his ‘wounds’ and started for the heavenly abode in...1 min
And, she finally breathed her last. It had been a long tussle. She couldn’t continue with it anymore. In fact, she was now beaten and...1 min
There she was, mangled and distorted beyond recognition, laid out on the huge table. Mit felt his eyes moisten as the air conditioner blazed down...2 min
Death flashed his arresting smile at God. God, despite Her supreme control, could not help but redden. ‘Flatterer!’, She said and hoped that Her pretended...2 min
They say that every childhood crush is first true love. If not for Steve Jobs, I would have married mine. October 2003 I grew up...2 min
Lost in my thoughts, I was waiting near the assembly hall of my school. The selection committee was headed by Sister Metelda for the play...1 min
The garlanded photo of my aunt’s face; reflected the same arrogance and ego of her prime. My mind raced, amidst the background of the Shradh...1 min
Piggy Bank for a Piggy Bank. Diwali is one of my most favorite festivals. Not because of the lights, sweets, fireworks or it’s real mythological...1 min
It happened again, perhaps for the third time in two days. I was standing in front of the wall beside the entrance door , giving...1 min
I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I do remember that I was in preschool. It was our school’s annual concert. My friend...1 min
Decades ago when Kolkata was still called Calcutta and hardship for me only meant class exams, I met a ghost. Those days, summers were extra...2 min
The sunny morning was a welcome respite after the cyclone rains. The roads were clear, almost. “Hiya! How are those feet?” My sister, senior by...1 min
I was running after a white bunny when it suddenly turned into a huge snowman with a crooked nose and leapt towards me. I backed...1 min
Alpana was putting away the breakfast dishes into the sink when a loud piercing wail was heard from the living room. She quickly washed her...1 min
The golden period of one’s life is childhood. The innocent mistakes, the punishments are nostalgic. Here I am going to describe one, which I told...1 min
“You’re dreaming again,” my brother glared at me, “it’s that Anjali Tandon, isn’t it? You haven’t heard a word I said.” He could be kind...1 min
“Come this way,” whispered my elder sister as she pulled me to a corner. “Don’t go inside,” she cautioned me. “A huge man is waiting....1 min
It is Diwali today. Even though so many years have gone by, the incident is still fresh in my mind… ?? Diwali was two days...1 min
It was back to school for our final two years after our vacation. We were the first batch that was called Plus Two. To me,...1 min
“Rajjo, please hurry up . I have to get Mini ready . Today is Sports Day in Prof.Sahib’s college and all children will go there.”...1 min
‘Thambi, I am too tired to tell the story. Can you do the honours?’, Raji requested. At her bid, I relate to you the story...1 min
Grandfather was ill. So parents had to go to Puri. They left me at Kaka’s house to attend classes. His 3 children and I were...1 min
We woke up at 4.00 am. Even though it was the time to return, I remember that both, me and my sister, Vaishali, were very...1 min
The aroma of coffee always intoxicates my senses. Coffee and cigarettes. What a heavenly combination! I spend evenings like this in my armchair, slowly sipping...1 min
“Why do you hide your pain behind that fake smile?” resting elbows on her knees, panting, Arya’s gaze made Jigisha uncomfortable. “Excuse me… ahh…. what?”...1 min
“How are you?” Neelam held out a steaming cup of coffee. I nodded, “Better.” The fresh coffee aroma filled up the room and my soul....1 min
It was a typical day, late from work, moreover, at the end of it, the shoulders could not bear the weight of a laptop bag...1 min
Despite summer being at its peak, the day was windy with dark clouds looming over the buildings. It was Wednesday. Again. A roar of laughter...1 min
Shalini never liked rain. Damp and misty mornings always intensified her desolation. She sat beside the window sipping coffee with a memoir in her lap...1 min
The gentle rain and the refreshing coffee wouldn’t change her mind. She recalled all the humiliating treatment meted out to her in the five years...1 min
Saima was passing by a posh coffee joint when the clouds above broke into a fine rain. She froze in her steps and was about...1 min
Today seems to be a day of inescapable wetness. The downpour lashes the air furiously. The smell of fresh coffee, turning cold, fuels my stamina...1 min
Hanumantha switched on the Russel Hobbs One cup coffee maker. Coming from Baba Budan Giri Hills, the birth place of Indian coffee, he always carried...1 min
The kids had gone off to school. Hubby was in his office whereas I was safe at home. It was raining heavily. “Hi Nishu. I...1 min
The aroma of coffee engulfed the house. It was raining heavily. I sat to write, the small table was near the window. Meera our house-keeper...1 min
‘Can you see a pattern here?’ asked the Inspector. ‘All during monsoon, Sir’, the new recruit answered promptly. ‘Hence I christened him the Monsooner.’, the...1 min
The house was empty. I snuggled on the sofa beside the window. Wiping the glass with the arm of my sweater, I saw a curtain...1 min
The air was heavy and smelling rainy since afternoon, but, the final show was waiting for the perfect cue to arrive on stage. I had...1 min
It was raining heavily. Little Arpan had just gone off to sleep. It was going to be a late night and I needed a coffee...1 min
This is the story of eight-year-old Rani, wedded to a farmer’s son. In those days, small girls were married off to a man much older...1 min
Diwali was just around the corner and the much-abhorred cleaning was underway. Anika had just finished with the fan and...1 min
One moment they were running around the barren field, and the next they were in a deep pit! Falling on top of each other, it...1 min
“The view through each window will be different”, Saira says in the Malayalam movie ‘Bangalore days’. Is that so? My bedroom-windows always gave the same...1 min
Abhijeet Tiwari woke up to a surprisingly cool morning, after spending a sleepless night in the humid weather of Chennai. Born and brought up in...1 min
“How long will she be?” The coachman said, to no one in particular. One of the footmen, however, replied, “We should have taken a tour...1 min
A knock on the door was what triggered off the chain of events. Anika was clearing the loft, poised delicately on a seven-foot-high ladder. Bingo,...1 min
An epidemic of daunting proportion had taken over. It all started a few weeks back when a murky greenish-brown hue was overcast on everything around...1 min
I put the appetizer plate on my knee and was talking to Mr. Avadhanam and Mr. Kamat about the latest developments on the visa regulations....1 min
I smiled back at the already smiling Mrs. Avadhanam. She slapped her hand on my shoulder and pointed at her kid playing in the lawn. ...1 min
After driving around the city, I took a break at a lounge in Khan market. There were a couple of ladies gathered around a man...1 min
It was a lazy afternoon in the Heavens. God was sipping his tea in the garden. The Devil was napping in his hammock at a...1 min
Jerry’s mother, Martha, not one of world’s shiny happy beings, had a saying: ‘When things go wrong, they keep going wrong until there’s tears.’ ________________...1 min
“Ah, just look at her. So full and juicy.” He exclaimed to his brother, pointing at the beauty, standing on the other side of the...1 min
My breath became laboured, my heartbeat increased, as I sat there under the bright light. Though my eyes were open I saw nothing in particular....1 min
We broke our kiss when the voice outside sounded clearer. It sounded like that of the helper who was pacing up and down the narrow...1 min
~Listen to me while you read?~ My legs hurt from standing, but I had a job to do. Oh! The prince was riding on a...5 min
“ Midnight on the bridge. Come alone.” Six words were all I typed before pressing the Send button and then I switched off my phone....1 min
“Midnight, on the bridge. Come alone.” Raghu’s words kept ringing in Prakash’s head. He was restless the entire afternoon. He had not responded to Raghu...1 min
“Dear Baba, I know it will be very difficult for you to accept but it is true that I cannot live without Feroz. I know...1 min
“Suresh Devasahayam, B Tech in Industrial Engineering, 3rd year,” the Police inspector read as he flipped over my Id card. “Yes, Sir, that’s me”...1 min
“Midnight, on the bridge. Come alone”, I warned him on the phone. The boy’s father had been truly intimidated. I could hear it in his...1 min
His phone vibrated and lit up. There was a message. Terse and anxious. “Midnight, on the bridge. Come alone.” It was her. What...1 min
“Midnight, on the bridge. Come alone.” P.S: Don’t tell your twin. It was Ryan’s favourite place. Colourful balloons swayed in the breeze as...1 min
She read and re-read the note for the umpteenth time. “Midnight, on the bridge. Come alone.” This note carries a very familiar fragrance. The...1 min
Hai, Ananya. Is there any Maths test tomorrow? (no reply) You look different in your profile picture. Is that you or your sister? Sorry, I...1 min
“I can’t do this, Vikram,” Sonia pleaded into the phone. “I respect you but I’d always feel pitied. Goodbye…” She looked at her phone...1 min